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MARAD Reports to Congress About America's Marine Highway

Published Apr 5, 2011 3:09 PM by The Maritime Executive

Executive Summary

This Report to Congress is required by Sections 1121 and 1123 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Energy Act).  Section 1121 directs the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to establish a short sea transportation program and designate short sea transportation projects under the program to mitigate landside congestion.  The Maritime Administration (MARAD) has implemented this short sea transportation program as the ?America‘s Marine Highway Program? (the Program). The Program is intended to expand the use of our inland, Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System, intracoastal, and coastal waterways for the transportation of freight (loaded in containers and trailers) and passengers to mitigate landside congestion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions per ton-mile of freight moved, and accomplish other objectives.

The first section of this report provides the justification for expanding the utilization of Marine Highway services.  It describes the interests of the Federal government in encouraging greater use of Marine Highways and, through the example of Europe, shows that government policy can be successful in achieving this result.  An important point of this section is that the full range of public benefits of Marine Highway services will not be realized based solely on market-driven transportation choices.

The sections immediately following the introduction explain the potential contributions of America‘s Marine Highway to the following objectives:

  • Improving our nation‘s economic competitiveness while creating and sustaining jobs, including through the reduction of landside traffic congestion, the ability to add costeffective new freight and passenger transportation capacity, the reduction of wear-andtear on roads and bridges, and by providing resiliency to the surface transportation system;
  • Providing an environmentally sustainable transportation system that requires less energy and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per ton-mile of freight moved;
  • Adding to the nation‘s strategic sealift resources and supporting the nation‘s shipbuilding industry
  • Improving public safety and security through the safe movement of passengers and freight, including hazardous materials, and by enabling more effective transportation responses to natural and manmade disasters.

To view the entire report, click here.

 

SOURCE: MARAD